Force’ And The Secret Of Its Success

As the latest volume in the Power library lands, the narrative universe it expands continues to grow in popularity, which many shows struggle to do. The series and its spin-offs, which have a predominantly African-American cast, are a jewel in the crown of the Starz network.

“Power defies that trend because this is the first time they’ve seen it done this well with diversity,” enthused Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the media mogul and one of the show’s executive producers. However, Power Book IV: Force sees Tommy Egan, a white character, step into the spotlight with his story taking center stage. “I think that people took to Tommy because he portrays a really good version of a flawed character.” 

I caught up with 50 Cent to talk about Joseph Sikora’s wildly popular character stepping up, Power‘s future, and the secrets of success he’s learned from the Marvel universe.

Simon Thompson: Power Book IV: Force is a fantastic addition to the Power universe. Tommy Egan continues to grow as a character and become increasingly popular. He’s so compelling, but what do you think it is that Tommy has that is so appealing?

50 Cent: I believe that because he was overlooked. In the environment that he grew up in, they would look at him and not see him as a threat, so he’s more aggressive now. I think that people took to Tommy because he portrays a really good version of a flawed character. He just doesn’t care. Tommy’s the guy that actually wants to sell drugs. In the show, where they make it to the top of the drug trade and question whether they’ve done it the right way, he’s the guy who never stops wanting to do it the way they did it. Ghost is the guy who starts to question whether he could have done it a different way.

Thompson:  I want to ask you about the show’s increasing popularity. Many shows have a good run for a few seasons, and then it goes downhill. People move on. It’s so much harder to have stuff cut through these days, but the popularity of Power and the Power Books continue to go up. Why does this universe defy the trend that so many others succumb to?

50 Cent: Power defies that trend because this is the first time they’ve seen it done this well with diversity. It’s the first time they see themselves in the show and see characters close to relatable people and situations. It’s the conversation by the cooler come Monday when they’re back at work because they know that energy. Ghost turned into more of a high-stakes soap opera to me because it didn’t stay as grounded in the nature of that experience was like early on when I talked to Courtney A. Kemp, the co-creator, about it. Everything about this is familiar, from the content and the characters to the scenarios people in the inner cities in the 90s were subjected to, even if they weren’t involved in that world. It’s just what was going on in the city.

Thompson: You mention the diversity and people seeing themselves represented on screen. Tommy is the lead character in this season, and he’s white. Did you think twice about doing that?

50 Cent: No. Having him be white is the possibility for the show to outperform, and it’s also an opportunity for an audience that hadn’t taken a look at the universe because they didn’t see themselves in it. Once there is the clear focus on who it is, they can tune in and find everything they’d been missing. The beauty of it is that it is written well enough for you to tune in for the first time, and you see Tommy coming into a new town in Chicago; you don’t have to know him from Power. Marketing-wise, this is the biggest old-fashioned cookie-cutter thinking, traditional Hollywood way of doing things. It is the biggest marketing piece you’ve had connected to the universe, and it could potentially do better than everything else. The audience we have has already learned to love our character, but this could do more because the people who haven’t watched before can come and see it for the first time.

Thompson: You are shrewd, and the choices and moves you make are very considered. How much have you been watching what other people have been doing with universes and spin-offs? 

50 Cent: Yeah, absolutely, and I make the comparison to Marvel to explain what I felt like the universe was to Starz. The majority of the time, everything is being provided for a project to be a success. This is why they’ve had a very high consistency and haven’t had any failures. It’s by design. I look at projects and whatever they’re paying the actors, look at that budget, and then the effects budget. The effects budget is many times more than your lead actor, even if they paid $20 million for the lead. It’s pretty hard to f**k up that type of film unless somebody dropped the ball. Maybe the director was a good director but just decided to do a s**t job, or perhaps the talent didn’t want to work and do something else. As long as they have a good idea on paper, it ends up being so engaging and visually stimulating that it won’t be an issue. 

Thompson: You’ve expanded this universe. We’ve got Power, we’ve got the Book spin-offs, and we know how many of those we’re getting. Where do we go from there? Have you thought about taking Power and expanding the universe internationally to the UK or Asia?

50 Cent: I’m looking to keep Power on the streets of America. What you say about other countries, that’d be a different series. You have multiple successful shows coming from the Power universe. Another show of mine, BMF, is not connected to the Power universe and has done extremely well in its first season. It has been a huge hit.

Thompson: Because of Power‘s success and how much good it has been for Starz, I’m amazed another network, or a streamer hasn’t tried to steal it.

50 Cent: (Laughs)

Thompson: That sounds like maybe they have?

50 Cent: (Laughs) I’m not going to spill the beans.

Power Book IV: Force debuts on Starz on Sunday, February 6, 2022.